TAMBOUR, BEDSPREAD

A most unusual delicate single bedspread, cotton net on which a floral design with cutwork elements has been stitched with a tambour hook using cotton thread. There is a 320 mm frill at each side, which has scrolling tambour design on the edge.

‘Tambouring’ from the French ‘tambour’ for drum, a forerunner of the modern tambourine was named after the drum shaped frame in which it is worked. Tambour work uses a tambour hook, which is like a sewing machine needle turned into a crochet hook and placed inside a wooden holder and used to create a continuous line of chain stitches.

In India, the hook is called an ‘ari’.

Of eastern origin, tambouring reached its height of popularity in Europe 1780 to 1850 to decorate the fine flowing muslin gowns, net wedding veils and scarves when, due to the Napoleonic Wars, it was difficult to obtain the highly fashionable French laces.